Friday, April 22, 2016

Becca & Caleb


On December 18th, 2015 my little brother got married in the Payson UT, LDS Temple. This is the last marriage for my parents. Though I do not believe parenting is ever over, when your children are all married off, and in LDS culture - married in the temple, it is a sigh of relief and a passage into the next chapter of life. Now at the ripe old age of 53 & 56 my parents are focusing on retirement and grandchildren. 

This marriage also signifies what may be the last wedding I ever have to shoot! My Camera (Pentax K10D) was purchased for me by my parents in 2007. After my first year of College and before my oldest sister's wedding. My parents figured I would need a digital camera for school and that it would also serve as paying a photographer for all the weddings to come. And that's just what it did. This camera got me through the BFA program, a photography study abroad in Scotland and all three of my siblings' weddings.  It is a little worse for wear. It has gone a lot of places and seen a lot of things. It has a bit of a focusing problem I just can't shake and it seems like now with advancements in photography technology a lot of people's phone cameras have better iso capabilities than my old dslr. But it still serves its purpose fine, and I am grateful that parents bought it for me.   



Let's talk about the Bride and Groom shall we? They met in one of Caleb's classes his first semester at BYU. Ian and I put together and registered Caleb for all of his first semester classes while he was on his mission, so you could say they met because of us...

As is customary, they got married during Christmas break to accommodate housing for the following semester at BYU. We took some shots of the two of them the day before the wedding to lighten up the workload to be done on the wedding day itself. On the 18th (the wedding day) there were something like 80 weddings going through the Payson Temple. It was busy but the temple workers had it all under control and people are generally happy at weddings so it was all fine. After the wedding itself and taking a few family and wedding party photos we had a luncheon down the street. Then we cleaned that up, changed the children, packed our bags, and ran like mad to Moab, UT (Becca's home town) for a reception that night. 











 

In the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints we get married in Temples because they are The House of the Lord. We don't make promises to our spouse 'til death do us part but we make covenants to our spouse and our Heavenly Father for Time and All Eternity. Like all covenants made with the Lord they come with special blessings that don't just bless the spouses but also the posterity of the family. We believe that families can be together forever. What a comfort that has been in my life. 

At Becca and Caleb's wedding the sealer (the priesthood holder who performs the wedding is also known as a sealer because he seals spouses and families together for time and all eternity) said something like "At this wedding altar you are sacrificing all your personal priorities for a larger more eternal priority of family," I should have written it down sooner. That struck me because I often feel like I have sacrificed a great deal and I'm sure mothers and even some fathers all around the world feel that too. It was good to get the reminder why mothers do what they have to do, maybe not what they want to do. And why fathers work so hard, when maybe they don't want to work that hard.  A reminder that there is a time and a season for everything, and priorities in life. That we make these sacrifices of personal goals and aspirations momentarily for the most important priorite of all, Family. 




Sunday, October 11, 2015

My first Pennsylvania Baby Shoot


I am always more than happy to photograph a sweet baby. This little guy is 3 weeks old and I'm sure after 2 weeks of editing he already looks more grown up. I am glad that this family was my first Pennsylvania portrait session and let me document this important stage of life for them.





State College, PA

Saturday, September 12, 2015

Instagram

I know it has looked like I have given up at photography, but I haven't. I have just fallen in love with Instagram. It is so easy to share photos on instagram. I am sorry I have been neglecting my blogging responsibilities. So here is an update on the photos that I have shared on instagram and not on my blog that I think are noteworthy. All of these photos were shot on my Fuji 6x9 camera on either Kodak tmax or Ilford delta film. I developed them in my kitchen with Kodak Xtol developer and Ilford fixer. Then I scanned them in with my Epson scanner. 

This is a little spring that we hiked up to in Ririe, Idaho this summer while we were in Idaho Falls for my husband's internship.

This is the view from the top of Heise Falls, also in Ririe, Idaho.

Some kind of grain elevator just south of Burley, ID

These next few were taken in the spring of 2015 at Deer Creek Reservoir in Utah.



The turn to go to Sundance, up Provo Canyon, Utah


This last image I am proud of because I entered it into the Springville Museum of Art Spring Salon and it was accepted into the show. I still feel so honored to have made it on the same walls as some of Utah's most talented and famous artists. They were very kind to me. 

That's it for now, I'll try to be better about updating my blog but if you would like to see more please follow me on instagram! You will see photos of our road trip/move across the country, vacation in South Carolina, adventures in Idaho and, of course, loads of my child.
  

Tuesday, March 24, 2015

Corinne

Lets just talk about how much I love photographing this age. They just sit and smile at you and are as cute as can be! Any older she would get up and run away. And look at those big brown eyes! It was a joy to photograph sweet Corinne and her family a few weeks ago. These are just a few of the many shots we got. Enjoy! 







Provo, UT



Sunday, March 15, 2015

Baby Ethan


Baby Ethan is the first baby to join this sweet little family about a month ago and his parents are so glad to have him. His blessing jumper is an heirloom that his father wore when he was blessed. His blessing blanket was purchased long before he was born in Jerusalem by his father on a study abroad. I don't when the bow ties were purchased but needless to say, this little boy was greatly anticipated. 
I am so happy for them and blessed they let me take their photographs.









Provo, UT

Monday, March 2, 2015

Baby Kirsten


This is my newest neighbor. She is the second child, and first daughter to my dear friend. I was so happy she let me come see her in the hospital and take these photos for her. It is my opinion that all newborns should be photographed in black and white film just as soon as possible. I think the medium complements the simplicity of those first few hours of life. And this baby's first hours of life were filled with love of a proud new big brother, a first time father of a daughter, and of course an extremely happy yet tired mother. 







Did I mention this is the first of three baby shoots I did in two weeks! 
Look for the others to pop up very soon! 





Thursday, February 19, 2015

The Jury Family

 This is the dear Jury Family. They live a few block down from us and asked if I would take some family photos for them. I said yes of course, because it easy to photograph good looking people, and good looking they are. These are just a few of the many shots that we got that very warm and sunny February Saturday. 










Provo, UT 2015